


Drinking Companions

by TwoBeatsAtOne



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alan Ayckbourn, Drinking Companion, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 23:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoBeatsAtOne/pseuds/TwoBeatsAtOne
Summary: Bernie sent Serena to a hotel bar, while she runs errands. Serena has an unwanted guest.Slightly AU. Based on Alan Ayckbourn's 'Drinking Companion'.





	Drinking Companions

Serena sat in a hotel bar waiting for Bernie to arrive. As she looked around the place she had one overwhelming thought – God, this place was awful. Cheap. She didn’t know why Bernie had suggested this for post conference drinks, there was a perfectly nice bar in their hotel, with an extensive wine list. It seemed crazy to her, this place was a dump, and to top it all off, Bernie was late, very late. Insisting she wouldn’t be long and just had a few errands to run, saying that she would meet her there.  
Serena was just about to give up hope when she felt a presence at her table. She looked up expecting to see Bernie, instead she was faced with a man. A scruffy looking man at that.  
“Now, what is a beautiful lady doing in this place all on her own?” He gave his best surly smile, but he just looked constipated to Serena.  
“Waiting for a friend.”  
She hoped that would be enough to get rid of the man. But he was the persistent kind.  
“Well, what kind of man would I be if I left a lady waiting on her own?’ he said as he plonked himself down as close to Serena he could get without sitting on top of her.  
“I’d rather you…”  
“Now, what is that you’re drinking?”  
Serena went to answer and to tell him to bugger off when…  
“No, no! Let me guess… Merlot?”  
Serena wrinkled her nose at the idea.  
“No? Well, that’s got me stubbed. Merlot is the only red worth drinking in my view,”  
She raised her eyebrow at him. Poor fool.  
“So, what is it then?”  
“Shiraz”  
“Shiraz! Nah, not my cup of tea”  
“Well, you don’t have to drink it…”  
“No, I’m Robbie, by the way,” He held out his hand to Serena, and she took it out of politeness, you understand. She quickly regretted it as he raised her hand to his lips and gave it a light, I’m sure to him, kiss. “And may I enquire as to your name”  
“You may enquire” said Serena as wiped her hand on the side of her trousers. Robbie flung his head back and laughed.  
“You are a funny one…”  
“Serena” she said regretfully.  
“Ooh, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady”  
Serena quickly finished her wine, and started to make her excuses, but Robbie wasn’t hearing any of it. On noticing a waiter nearby, he shouted out.  
“Waiter! Waiter! Another glass of Shiraz please, put it on room 249’s tab,” The waiter nodded and swiftly disappeared, “That’s my room by the way. In case you’re interested,”  
“I’m not”  
“It’s a lovely room. Best one in the place. A lovely double bed”  
“I’m sure”  
“Yes, a lovely room. So, Serena, what brings you, a beautiful lady, to this part of the world?”  
“A medical conference”  
“Oh wow, that must have taken some organising”  
“I wouldn’t know, I attended the conference. I’m a surgeon.”  
That seemed to shut him up for a moment or two. Serena hoped that would be enough to make him realise he didn’t stand a chance, and she wasn’t falling for his, hm, charm. Unfortunately…  
“A surgeon, ey. Well, you must have a lot of stamina, doing ops all day and what not. I have a lot of stamina too, being in the police force and all that,”  
Serena shivered in her seat. Robbie took that to mean arousal, and pulled his best ‘come and get it’ smile.  
“So, didn’t find a dashing Doc at this conference?”  
“I wasn’t looking.”  
“Oh,” that seemed to stop him, “So… You’re not…Single?”  
Finally! He was going to leave, he got the message.  
“No, I came with my partner Bernie.”  
The waiter appeared placing a glass of Shiraz on the table before disappearing again as quickly as he came. Robbie was staring at her, eyes narrowing, then, they widen with glee. Serena had to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes.  
“So, where is this Bernie”  
“Running errands”  
“Running errands, eh? Well, I’ve heard better excuses”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“Oh what? Oh nothing, nothing…”  
Whatever he was about to say was stopped by the sound of a sharp cough behind them. Serena looked up and immediately broke out into a massive grin, Robbie looked annoyed.  
“Yes, can we help you?” he asked,  
Bernie smiled tightly at him and turned slightly to Serena.  
“Shall we go?”  
“You’ve only just got here,”  
“I’ve been here 10 minutes, couldn’t find you hiding away in the corner”  
“Excuse me,” said Robbie, “I think you’ll find this charming lady is already taken”  
“I know” said Bernie raising an eyebrow. Serena hid her smirk behind her wine glass.  
“So, if you don’t mind, I’m keeping her company until this Bernie decides to show his face”  
Bernie coughs again and outstretches her hand.  
“Berenice Wolfe, a pleasure, I’m sure, to meet you”  
Robbie slowly shook her hand, she could actually see the hamster wheel going in his brain.  
“You’re…” then turned to Serena, “Then you’re…”  
Serena only smirked in reply. As Bernie took her place next to Serena, comfortably close, placing her palm facing upwards on her leg, and watched as Serena’s joined and fingers interlocked. Robbie slowly rose, saying goodnight, and promptly left the bar.  
“Thank god he’s gone”  
Bernie squeezed her hand in reply. They sat for a moment, Serena just stroking the back of Bernie’s hand with her thumb.  
“So, did you get those errands done?”  
Bernie smiled and nodded.  
“Do I get to know what they were?”  
Bernie stands, pulling Serena with her.  
“Follow me Campbell”  
“Yes, Major.”  
Serena followed Bernie out of the Hotel, fingers still laced together, Bernie let out a loud whistle hailing a close by taxi.  
“Bernie, where are you taking me?”  
Bernie just smiled in reply, pulling Serena into the taxi.  
“Cover your ears,” said Bernie  
“What?”  
“Please”  
Serena glared at her, but complied. Bernie quickly relayed the address to the driver. As she sat back she pulled down Serena’s arms.  
“Is there any point in trying to get where we are going out of you?”  
“Nope,”  
Serena leaned in closer, slightly nuzzling Bernie’s neck, lips barely touching. “Are you sure?” Serena could see Bernie visibly swallowing.  
“I’m sure”  
Serena pulled back and settled into her sit. Bernie sighed at the loss of contact.  
“Not long, Dear”

Five minutes later the taxi came to stop outside the local park. Bernie paid, and went to stand next to Serena, who was pulling her coat tighter around her.  
“Bernie if you have brought me to a park to relive your miss-spent youth by drinking cheap cider out of a plastic bottle, you can think again”  
“Damn” She said laughing, Serena turned to her, raising her eyebrows, “No, Serena, come, follow me,” Grabbing Serena’s hand again, and pulled her through the gates. They walked for a few minutes, Serena getting more and more uncertain as they walked. Slowly small lights started to appear, and when they turned a corner, she could see what Bernie’s errands had been about.  
There in the middle of the park was, what looked to be, a very old oak tree, covered in multi-coloured fairy lights, and under was a picnic blanket with a hamper.  
“Oh, Bernie”  
Bernie turned and smiled shyly at her. Serena wrapped her arms around Bernie’s neck and pulled her in for a long kiss. As they pulled apart, Serena left her arms around Bernie’s neck, eyes narrowing slightly.  
“I still have one question,”  
“Yes?”  
“Why did you send me to that god-awful hotel?”  
“Because, I had a lot of coercing to do with the hotel kitchen staff to get the food out here, couldn’t run the risk of you wondering about and finding me.”  
“Okay, but that place?”  
“Yes, sorry, I didn’t realise how bad it was. Am I forgiven,”  
Serena, seemed to think for a minute, and then kissed her again.  
“I think so, this does look wonderful. Thank you,”  
***  
After they had slowly demolished the food in the hamper, Serena looked at Bernie curiously. Bernie was pretending not to notice, starring out into the starry night.  
“Beautiful up there,”  
“Yes, it is,” said Serena shifting her gaze to the sky, “Quite remarkable… As is this” gesturing to the picnic. Bernie bowed her head a little. “Why?”  
“Well…” said Bernie wiping her hands on the blanket, “Today, marks three years to the day that we met” Bernie dared to move her gaze to look at Serena. Who was sat there in stunned silence. “Serena Campbell, silent, must inform the newspapers”  
“Marry me?”  
“What?”  
“Bernie, you are the best thing that has ever happen to me, you’re the best person I have ever known, I can’t imagine my life without you, nor do I want to. I know we both said that we never wanted to go through the whole marriage thing ever again. But, I love you, and I want the whole world to know that, so, I’ll ask again, will you Berenice Griselda Wolfe, would you do me the great honour of becoming my wife”  
“Yes”  
“What?”  
“Yes, Serena Wendy Campbell, I will marry you,”  
Serena virtually launched herself at Bernie, landing on her lips, Bernie kissed her back with the same vigour. And if a camera were present, it would slowly pan upwards to the stars, twinkling their smiles down upon them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this, Reviews are much appreciated. 
> 
> 'Drinking Companion', by Alan Ayckbourn, is a short play about a creepy man trying to get a young woman to sleep with him, with zero success.


End file.
